“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” —Hebrews 10:22-23
Have you ever been discouraged?
Of course you have. Have you ever
lost hope because life made a left turn when your thought you were going to the
right? It is the reality of living in a
world that has rejected the One who created it.
A world that suffers under the burden of sin and the brokenness that sin
brings.
I was talking with someone the other day. They were sharing their concern for their
child. The child, who once had been
“sold out” to Jesus, was now struggling with their faith. Questioning their faith and God. I would hazard a guess that most Christian
parents know that concern. But it is not like pulling your child out of the
street by the arm so they don’t get hit by a car. When it comes to facing life and the struggle
it brings, they must choose to get out of the street on their own. You can certainly pray for them and
should. But no amount of talking (or
nagging) will coax them out of the
street. You must love them through their
struggle of faith.
I told my friend that what we see is like looking at a
picture. A moment in time. We should be careful that we don’t draw the
wrong conclusions about their life. I
asked if they could remember a point in time when the child professed their
faith in Jesus. “Yes” was the answer.
I am an eternal security guy.
I believe that once you are adopted by faith into the family of God,
nothing can change that. I believe that
being sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) is a forever thing. I believe that when Jesus said (John 10:28)
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them
out of my hand.”) That “no one” means no one, including the person who has been
given eternal life. The person who was born again.
I told my friend that they needed to trust God and believe His
Word is truth. (Oh, did that sound like
Proverbs 3:5-6?) That the certainty of salvation applies to their child even
when they see the child wandering into the street – not embracing their faith. Struggling to understand why what happened to
them, happened to them. Is God really
there? Does their faith really matter?
Don’t draw the wrong conclusion from the photo. God sees from beginning to end. We only see what is now and what we can see
in the photo album representing their life in the past. God is sovereign. He’s got this. (Hebrews 11:1) “Faith is the substance of
things hoped for. The evidence of things
not seen.” So I encouraged my friend and
I encourage you, friends, with this.
(Philippians 4:6-7) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Believe it – walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the
glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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